How To Install WordPress Without Hosting?

WordPress is a free standalone software that needs to be installed and hosted on a server. It is impossible to install WordPress without hosting. However, it is possible to install and use WordPress without a paid hosting plan or domain name.

So how can this be done? WordPress can be installed for free on a local server by using a local web stack such as WampServer or a virtual sandbox environment such as Bitnami. 

Now, while installing WordPress locally is useful if you’d like to get familiar with the platform, practice WordPress development, or stage a client’s website before purchasing a hosting plan or domain name, there is an obvious downside that you should know about. 

WordPress websites created on a local server environment won’t be accessible to the public. This means that your website would only be available to you, on the computer where the local server is being hosted. However, this isn’t a serious downside because you can always migrate your website from your local hosting environment to a live server whenever you are ready to do so.

how to install wordpress without hosting

Install WordPress Using WampServer 

Step 1 – Download and Install WampServer 

1. Head on over to the WampServer website, from there click on the “start using Wampserver” button.

Download and Install WampServer Step 1

2. On the next page select either the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version depending on your operating system. 

Download and Install WampServer Step 2

3. Next a popup with a form would appear, ignore the form and click on “you can download it directly”

Download and Install WampServer Step 3

4. Clicking on that link will bring you to a download page. From here click on the green “download latest version” button. 

Download and Install WampServer Step 4

5. When the installation file is finished downloading locate and run it. 

Download and Install WampServer Step 5

6. Start by selecting your preferred language and then click on “ok”.

Download and Install WampServer Step 6

7. Next, accept the terms and agreements of WampServer and click on “next”.

Download and Install WampServer Step 7

8. On the general information screen click on “next”.

Download and Install WampServer Step 8

9. Leave the destination location as the folder assigned by the installer.

Download and Install WampServer Step 9

10. At the select components section select default installation from the drop-down and click on “next”.

Download and Install WampServer Step 10

11. Follow through with the remainder of the installer until the ready to install section, then click on the “install” button. During the installation, you’ll be asked to set a default web browser and text editor.

Download and Install WampServer Step 11

12. When the installation is complete click on “finish”.

Download and Install WampServer Step 12

Step 2 – Create a Database On WampServer

1. Open the WampServer software to start your local server.

Create a Database For Your Website On WampServer Step 1

2. Now that your local server is online go to your preferred web browser and type in localhost in the address bar.

Create a Database For Your Website On WampServer Step 2

3. From the WampServer dashboard, under the tools heading click on PHPMyAdmin.

Create a Database For Your Website On WampServer Step 3

4. This will bring you to the PHPMyAdmin login screen. From here use the username root, leave the password field blank, and MySQL as the server choice, then click on “go”.

Create a Database For Your Website On WampServer Step 4

5. Once at the PHPMyAdmin dashboard click on the database tab.

Create a Database For Your Website On WampServer Step 5

6. Under the create database title give your database a name like MyLocalWebsite and then click on the “create” button. 

Create a Database For Your Website On WampServer Step 6

Step 3 – Download and Install WordPress On WampServer

1. Follow this link to the WordPress homepage.

2. From the WordPress, homepage click on the blue “Get WordPress” button.

Download and Install WordPress On WampServer Step 2

3. On the next page click on the “download and install” link and then click on the blue “download WordPress” button.

Download and Install WordPress On WampServer Step 3
Download and Install WordPress On WampServer Step 3b

4. When the download is complete locate the WordPress.zip folder and extract its content to a new folder.

Download and Install WordPress On WampServer Step 4

5. Open the newly extracted folder and rename the “wordpress” folder within it to the name of your website, for example, mylocalwebsite.

Download and Install WordPress On WampServer Step 5

6. Navigate to your primary windows drive > wamp64 > www and move the folder you just renamed to this location. 

Download and Install WordPress On WampServer Step 6

7. Now that your website’s folder is placed within the www folder follow along with the configuring WordPress section of this article to finish the installation

Install WordPress Using XAMPP 

Step 1 – Download and Install XAMPP 

1. Follow this link to the XAMPP homepage

2. From here click on the version that you would like to download. Windows, Mac, or Linux. 

Download and Install XAMPP Step 2

3. When the download is completed, locate the file and launch it.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 3

4. At the select components page, select Apache, MySQL, PHP, and PHPMyAdmin then click next.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 4

5. Leave the default installation folder as the one set by the installer.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 5

6. Set your preferred default language.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 6

7. Follow along with the rest of the installer to where the installation starts.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 7

8. When the setup is complete click on finish and open XAMPP.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 8

9. At the XAMPP control panel start MySQL and apache.

Download and Install XAMPP Step 9

Step 2 – Install WordPress on XAMPP

1. From the XAMPP control panel, click on the admin button in the MySQL row to go to your PHPMyAdmin dashboard.

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 1

2. Next you will have to create a database for your website. To do this click on the “add new” button from the list of databases on the left.

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 2

3. On the next page give your database a name and click on the “create” button.

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 3

4. Now that your database is created head on over to WordPress.org and download the latest version.

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 4

5. When the download is completed unzip the WordPress.zip folder to a new folder. 

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 5

6. In the new folder locate the WordPress folder and rename it to the name of your website. 

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 6

7. Navigate to the folder htdocs which is located in This pc > Windows (C:)> XAMPP > HTDOCS and copy the folder that you renamed to the name of our website here. 

Install WordPress on XAMPP without using Bitnami Step 7

8. In your preferred web browser type in localhost/thenameofyourlocalsite in the address bar to launch the wordpress installer.

9. Navigate to the Configure WordPress section in this article to finish installing WordPress.

Step 3 – Configure WordPress (WampServer or XAMPP)

Whichever method you select you would need to configure your new WordPress installation the first time you try to access your website. This is how you’ll go about doing that. 

1. In your preferred web browser type in localhost/yourwebsitename/ in the address bar. This will redirect you to the wordpress configuration page.

2. From here select your language 

Configure WordPress On Your Local Web Stack Step 2

3. On the next page click on “let’s go” and proceed to the database information section. Next enter your Database Name, Username, and Password. Leave the database host and prefix fields as is and click on “submit”.

Configure WordPress On Your Local Web Stack Step 3

4. Next set your site title, username, password, email address, and then click on the “install WordPress” button.

Configure WordPress On Your Local Web Stack Step 3b

5. Finally click on the “login” button then enter your WordPress account information to access your WordPress dashboard.

Configure WordPress On Your Local Web Stack Step 5
Configure WordPress On Your Local Web Stack Step 5b

Install WordPress Using XAMPP and Bitnami

1. In your preferred web browser type in localhost. This will lead you to the XAMPP dashboard, from here click on the “applications” button.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 1

2. From the applications page click on the link that reads “Bitnami XAMPP page”.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 2

3. On that page scroll down and download the WordPress module for your operating system. (either sign up for an account with Bitnami or click on the direct download link).

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 3
Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 3b

4. When the download is completed run the installer and follow through with the installation.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 4
Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 4b

5. Leave the installation folder as the default folder set by the installer.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 5

6. Next create your admin account. Set a username, a name, a password, and an email address.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 6

7. Give your website a name.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 7

8. (Optional) Configure SMTP settings by checking the mail support check box and select your default email provider.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 8

9. Deselect the “launch WordPress in the cloud with Bitnami” option and click next.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 9

10. When the installation is finished click on “finish” and launch the Bitnami WordPress module

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 10

11. Next, you will then be taken to a URL that looks similar to this http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/. To access your WordPress dashboard add wp-admin after the forward-slash after the word “wordpress”. And log in with the credentials we created in step 6.

Install WordPress on XAMPP using Bitnami Step 11

Install WordPress Using Local By FlyWheel

1. Head on over to the Local By FlyWheel website and click on the download button in the header.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 1

2. Select your platform, fill in the form and click on get it now. 

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 2

3. When the download is complete launch the installer.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 3

4. Follow through with the installer until it is finished, then click on finished and run locally. 

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 4

5. Within the local by flywheel program click on the “white create a new site” button.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 5

6. Give your site a name and click continue.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 6

7. On the next page select preferred and click continue.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 7

8. Set a username, password, and email, and then click on “add site”.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 8

9. When your site is created click on “open site” to view your site or click on “admin” to access your WordPress dashboard. 

Use the virtual sandbox environment Local By FlyWheel Step 9

Install WordPress Using Bitnami 

1. Head on over to the Bitnami website. Under the “on my computer” section click on Win /Mac / Linux.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 1

2. Next scroll down and download the version that is compatible with your operating system.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 2

3. In the popup either create an account or click on no get to download.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 3

4. When the download is complete run the installer.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 4

5. Follow through with the installer and create an admin account.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 5

6. Give your site name.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 6

7. Skip the mail service or opt in to it by checking the checkbox.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 7

8. Deselect the cloud option and click continue.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 8

9. Wait for the installation to be completed then click on finished.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 9

10. Bitnami will launch your newly created website in your default browser. The link of your website will look similar to this http://127.0.0.1/wordpress. On this page click on “access WordPress” to access your site.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 10

11. To access your WordPress dashboard add /wp-admin to the end of the URL and log in with the credentials we created in step 5. For example http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-admin.

Use the virtual sandbox environment Bitnami Step 11
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